THE HORRORS OF CRYSTAL METH

Recovering Teen, Anguished Mother And Nurse Speak To Crowd

Parents need to get informed about the latest highly-addictive drug to
destroy Lower Mainland families before it becomes a horror that hits
their home.

That's what one anguished mother told a group of about 150 adults,
children, teens and parents at Wednesday's forum on crystal meth at
West Richmond Community Centre.

Deborah Sullivan recounted how she made the agonizing decision to let
her two adult sons go to jail so they would be forced to combat their
addiction, rather than hire a top-notch lawyer to help them avoid
incarceration for the crimes they had committed.

"Crystal meth is a lie that destroys people," Sullivan said in an
emotional presentation that brought her to tears. She encouraged
parents to arm themselves with as much information as they can about
this deadly drug, which is not only cheap but creates a euphoria that
can last up to 12 hours.

Also known as ice (methamphetamine hydrochloride), crystal meth is a
drug that's as addictive as cocaine and heroin and is fast becoming
the drug of choice because its high lasts so long, is affordable and
easily manufactured.

Also known as glass, it comes in chunky crystals and is cooked up in
clandestine labs. It is closely related to amphetamines but has far
greater effects on the central nervous system and brain, causing
paranoia and hallucinations and violent rages. According to a Lower
Mainland survey done by Pacific Community Resources in 2002, nearly
one in five youths between 12 and 25 years old had tried the drug.

Nurse Dawn Dixon said crystal can be snorted, smoked, injected or
ingested and brings about a euphoric rush. Since meth is an appetite
suppressant, it routinely results in malnutrition and weight loss. At
the same time, users feel an "increased sexual liberation," putting
them at risk to contract sexually-transmitted diseases.

Sullivan spoke about the drug from a mother's point of view. Although
her sons didn't know of her plans at the time they were in court, she
said it seemed like the right decision to force them through their
recovery while behind bars.

"Their eyes are again bright and there's laughter in their voices,"
she said of her sons.

And her message to parents and those hooked on crystal meth: "Don't
give up because you're not alone...there is a light at the end of the
tunnel."

Recovering drug addict Chelsea Trites, who grew up in Coquitlam,
started smoking when she was just nine, and drinking alcohol and
smoking marijuana by the time she was 13.

Although she had been actively involved in bike racing, that fell to
the wayside when she became hooked on crystal meth and started running
away from home and skipping school.

"I was really ripping my family apart," said Trites, who has been
clean for 11 months now and moved to a new community. "I burned
everything around me...there was nothing left."

After several cycles of trying to get clean only to relapse a short
time later, Trites is confident her addiction is now behind her.

"All of my friends in life that I kept losing during these relapses,
they're back and not going anywhere."

"I just want people to get something from this," Trites said about the
forum, which also included presentations from RCMP Const. Jazz Gill
and toxicologist Wayne Jeffery. "It's really important to have some
family support."

Christa Mullaly, prevention specialist from the Richmond Alcohol and
Drug Action Team, was pleased with the turnout. Though Richmond
doesn't have an identifiable run-down area where people congregate to
use drugs, like Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, the problem of crystal
meth use definitely exists here too. She's hoping the forum has acted
as the first step in creating an "open dialogue" on the issue.

Mullaly said there are more young women than men-usually between 14
and 25 years old-addicted to crystal meth. That's likely because the
drug acts as an appetite suppressant, and those recovering don't feel
like eating and worry about gaining weight and maintaining their body
image. This acts as another pressure to return to using the drug,
which costs only $10 for an hours-long high.

Toxicologist Wayne Jeffery, who once worked for the RCMP and is a
former pharmacist, spoke about the legislation involving field
sobriety tests for drivers, among other things.

While alcohol is easy to test for by way of the ubiquitous
breathalyzer machine, verifying whether a driver is high on drugs is
harder to prove and test for.

Jeffery gave a number of signs for parents to look for in their
children if they suspect a drug addiction. The effects on the mind
range from decreased fatigue, increased confidence, restlessness and
talkativeness in low doses, to hallucinations and psychosis in high
doses. In terms of impact on the body, low doses result in increased
heartrate and blood pressure, and decreased appetite to fever, chest
pain, irregular heartbeat and death due to overdose in high doses.

Gill spoke about the dangers posed by the dozens of clandestine drug
labs around the province, which are expected to double in number over
the next year.

He also discussed the challenges police officers face when dealing
with addicts, who are often violent, aggressive and delusional.

Mullaly said more events are coming up in Richmond this year to deal
with all types of addictions, from alcohol and drugs to gambling. For
information about crystal meth, call Richmond Alcohol and Drug Action
Team at 604-270-9220.